We continue with our story series with English professor Sylvia Hayes. Sylvia talks to us about beginning a small market farm with her husband: Love and Honey Farms.

We hear about aquaponics and raising ducks, turkeys, lots of chickens, and goats. Hear the story of the first time Sylvia midwifed the birth of twin goats!

Sylvia makes many connections between the hard, interesting and surprising work of running a farm for the first time and teaching core English courses. She talks about how her life has taught her to be a better and better teacher. She brings this growth mindset to her students. 

We explore the benefits she sees of helping new students build a supporting community and manage their time, two things that Sylvia herself learned the hard way, through need. She talks about her college struggle with cancer and homelessness, the lessons of which she offers to her students to ease their journeys. 

Spend some time on a farm and in an English classroom as we hear another story of beginnings.

Stream the episode here or listen through Apple Podcasts or Spotify.